Marco Kasper is heading to the Detroit Red Wings after a successful season with SHL Rogle. Tony Ferrari explains what to expect from the 18-year-old.
Last year’s eighth overall pick, Austrian center Marco Kasper, is set to join the Detroit Red Wings organization as soon as this week.
It was Rogle, his own SHL club, that reported he was on his way over to North America after completing what can only be deemed a successful 18-year-old season.
The next wave of Red Wings adds another potential pillar.
Kasper’s impact on the Red Wings organization for the remainder of this year remains to be seen. It is expected that he will play for the team as the season winds down, though.
He could play at the AHL level to gain comfort with the North American ice surface if the team chooses. Detroit is far enough out of the playoff race that the remaining games at the NHL level this season don’t have much importance, so getting Kasper into The Show immediately could give him a preview of what to expect come training camp when the young center looks to make the roster from the jump.
Kasper was a late riser in his draft year, gaining traction as a potential top-15 pick as he displayed pro-ready tools and tendencies from skating to defensive acumen. The biggest question was whether his raw puck skill and offensive upside would be high enough to warrant a selection that high.
Finishing with 23 points in 52 games at the Swedish pro level, Kasper finished fourth in U-21 scoring league-wide. His eight goals were third amongst the same group of players. Those numbers helped quell some of the worries about his offensive upside, but it was his displays of finer puck skill and offensive tools on a regular basis that have created a sense of excitement.
Kasper is strong on the puck, extending it out from his body while using his off-hand to shield himself from the defender reaching for it while driving wide. His puck skill has developed to the point in which he is able to put defenders on their heels, increasing his use of shoulder fakes and backhand to forehand puck handling that creates space for himself in 1-on-1 situations.
Kasper is a dual-threat center offensively with a lean toward being a bit more of a finisher. However, the development of his playmaking has come quite a way with the confidence and advancements from a raw skill perspective that he's made with the puck on his stick.
He lacks the flash of upper-echelon, highly skilled forwards, but the step he’s taken this season has warranted praise. The way the 6-foot-1 center plays the game allows him to make an impact even when his offensive game is still finding a way.
He has gone from a defensive center with an underwhelming offensive upside to a center who could be a middle-six center with play-driving ability and above-average defensive traits.
The young Austrian is a highly projectable center who understands what he has to do at both ends of the ice, using his physicality and tenacity on the puck to enable his team to find success. He is a nuisance on the back check. He has good positioning and knows when to apply pressure in the defensive zone, leveraging his speed to force mistakes. He creates and wins battles for loose pucks at a rate rarely seen by an 18-year-old center.
As a forechecker, Kasper will hunt the puck down. If he is the first forward in a dump-in, the Austrian will bait a defender in one direction before jumping the initially assessed open passing lane. If a defenseman freezes and fails to make a decision in a timely fashion, Kasper will pounce and make them pay for their transgression.
Kasper is an excellent and agile skater who understands how to build speed using crossovers through the middle of the ice while staying in full control of the puck, becoming an effective and efficient transition player. While he lacks the flashiness that could lead to dangling multiple players in open ice, he has the quickness and puck protection to evade defenders and beat them to the inside lane.
The NHL game requires speed and proficient play in the tough areas – along the boards and in tight to the net. That’s exactly where Kasper excels. Even if his offensive game doesn’t pop right away, his game is so well-rounded that he should be able to impact various other aspects of the game.
He plays with a physical edge, willing to mix it up after the whistle if necessary. He blends that with high-end mobility on and off the puck, pressuring puck carriers and defenders alike with his speed. Kasper has improved upon his perceived weaknesses over the last two years, developing his game to a level that has justified his eighth overall selection.
Where Kasper plays for the remainder of the season is still up in the air. Whether it is in Grand Rapids or Detroit, there is little doubt that he can hit the ground running.